Photo: Merch HÜSEY, Unsplash
Each Morning Could Make or Break Your Cardiovascular Health:
Quick, what’s the most important thing you do for your heart each day?
If your mind jumped to hitting the gym or popping a pill, you might be missing a major piece of the puzzle.
A unique study suggests that one of the simplest yet most powerful habits could be hiding in plain sight.
Believe it or not, it’s your breakfast routine.
That’s right. Whether you’re a grab-and-go granola bar bro, a 3-course brunchophile, or a “Just coffee, thanks!” kind of person,
You could be unknowingly sabotaging (or supercharging!) your well-being.
And the difference comes down to a few key factors most people outside the Intermittent-Fasting cult crowd would never even think about…
The Short Answer:
- Intermittent Fasting seemed like an impossibility until researchers showed-off the data.
- On a similar note, a Spanish study followed about 400 subjects, aged 55-75, for 3 years.
- They found that through some kind of magic, the amount of calories you eat for breakfast matters for heart health.
- Subjects who had the right mix had better scores for Body Weight, Waist, Blood-Fats, and Cholesterol.
- A breakfast with 20-30% of total daily calories turned out to be the sweet-spot.
- Too few or too many breakfast calories was linked to health risks.
- A balanced, nutritious breakfast of high-quality components had even better results.
- These included lower belly-fat, and even better cholesterol figures.
- Breakfast components like healthy protein, fiber, and yogurt all help cardio health in different ways.
- Every nutrition study has limits, so take this one as just a set of good ideas, so-far.
- There are plenty of ways to get the right % of calories and also a set of really good ingredients, too.
- Healthy breakfast habits look like they could help you age well & dodge some heart-disease, especially long-term.
Read on to find out the details…
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One Great Example Starts With The Magic Of Intermittent-Fasting:
So when Intermittent-Fasting first came out, it was this crazy revelation that seemed either impossible or laughable.
But The Salk Institute had the !FRICKIN’! study data to back it up.
And you didn’t need fancy gadgets, expensive supplements, or weird lemon, hot-sauce, and maple-syrup celebrity fad cleanses.
It was a little adjustment average people could make that might change their waistlines, and even their future.
If the type of findings on this site are any guide,… it might not be the only one.
Goldilocks Knew Her Oats: Find Your “Just Right” Breakfast Formula:
So a group of researchers wanted to find out how breakfast affects heart health in people already at risk.
So they kept tabs on almost 400 PREDIMED overweight/obese study adults in Spain, aged 55-75, over 3 years, checking things like a) Their weight, b) “Good” and “bad” cholesterol, and c) Blood sugar.
People who ate a breakfast with 20-30% of their daily calories – not too little and not too much – had the best outcome stats.
That’s around 400-600 calories if you eat the average ~2000 a day.
This “just right” breakfast group, compared to the other two groups, had:
- 2-3.5% lower body weight
- 2-4% smaller waist measurement
- 9-18% better blood fat levels
- 4-8.5% higher “good” cholesterol
So somehow, getting the right number of morning calories seems to lower your risks.
And the explanation for it, just like Intermittent-Fasting, seems to be:
Only magic can do this.
The French Paradox. How Do Croissants Make People Slim?:
But what about the French, who are famous for their seemingly-tiny breakfasts?
A typical French morning meal is just one butter croissant, Tablespoon of jam, 3-4″ baguette slice, teaspoon of butter, and a coffee. -That’s about 550 calories.
Hang on though! That’s pretty much all high-glycemic carbs, fat, and sugar, with just a smidge of so-so fiber.
So the mystery of France’s low BMI will have to remain that way for awhile.
-But coincidentally the Spanish study also looked at breakfast quality, not just quantity. And that’s where things get even more interesting.
Don’t Stop There! Go For The High-Score By Boosting Your Quality:
The researchers also gave the participants’ morning meals a “grade” for how nutritious and well-balanced they were.
Think lots of protein, fiber, good fats, and minerals like calcium and iron.
Subjects who aced the quality test saw even more perks than the previous group, like:
- 1.5% less belly fat
- 4% lower blood fats
- 3% higher “good” cholesterol
So what does a gold-star breakfast look like?
Some more specific examples might include fruits, yogurt, nuts, seeds, salmon, eggs, oatmeal, and maybe some spinach in those eggs.
Not processed junk, or tons of fatty meats and various sugar-bombs.
(the French breakfast doesn’t really cut the mustard on quality here, either.)
Can’t We Just Freebase A Couple Pop-Tarts & Call It Good?:
Okay, so you might be wondering how a measly little meal could make that big of a difference for your ticker.
Well, there are a few things that might be at play. -Other than magic.
Studies show eating breakfast, especially one with good protein, makes you feel fuller and less tempted to overeat junk-food later.
A solid morning meal also gives your metabolism a jump-start.
Plus, breakfast staples like yogurt and oats have special fibers and pre/pro-biotics.
These and other nutrients help your body process food WAY better and keep your gut bugs happy.
Because of the amazing things these foods do to your body-chemistry, your gut and heart really are like best friends.
Here Are The Usual Grain-Of-Salt Nutrition Study Limitations:
Now, before you go revamping your whole morning routine based on one study, let’s talk caveats. -Because nutrition research is tricky stuff.
In reality people tend to fib and the only way to be sure is to lock subjects up in a lab.
This study also focused on a specific group, so we can’t say the findings apply to everyone.
But these breakfast results do jibe with other research on how diet and timing can affect metabolic health.
So it’s definitely food for thought!
The Bottom Line. Tasty Tiny Tweaks Could Lead To Big Payoff Later:
The study crew says this is just one piece of the puzzle.
You also need to eat well the rest of the day, exercise daily, and quit any bad habits like smoking.
But hey, eating a tasty breakfast is a pretty easy place to start!
Here are a few breakfast ideas:
- Avocado & spinach omelet
- Plain Greek yogurt with berries & nuts
- Whole grain PB & banana toast
- Eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce
No need to go overboard. Just aim for a combo of protein, whole carbs, produce, and good fats.
Bonus points for calcium and iron-rich foods like yogurt and legumes.
So rise, shine, and dine with your heart in mind! Your future self (and cardiologist) will thank you.
References & Links:
• Source: Hospital Del Mar Research Inst.
• Source Study: J.NutAgeHealth – Breakfast energy intake and dietary quality and trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults
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